Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Bajrangi Bhaijan – A celebration of Humanity

Bajrangi Bhaijan – A celebration of Humanity

Syed Ali Mujtaba

Seeing movie Bajrangi Bhaijan made a stream of ideas flow from my funnel. I need to pen them as it may escape the mind and the commentary on a meaningful film will be lost forever. There are many stories within the film
and each need to be narrated to highlight the achievements of this film.

The first theme is all about India- Pakistan relations. The movie shows how similar the two countries. The idea of people to people contact dispels many misgivings. There is an explicit message that the hatred that exists in India against Pakistan and in Pakistan against India is meaningless and its burden has to be shed.

The dialogue that hatred sells and love don’t sum it all. This movie is a genuine attempt in building India Pakistan relationship. It will stand out as a master piece in such genre of movies. Raj kapoor’s ‘Hena’, too has been on similar lines.
This movie also touches about the core problem of South Asia. This is the Kashmir issue that has been the bone of contention between India and Pakistan for last sixty five years or so. The division of Kashmir as dealt in the film shows how this piece of land is so near yet so far for people living in that divided space of land.

How the two countries are playing for the possession of this beautiful land. How the innocent people living there are the victim of this divisive politics. All these ideas come out very boldly in this film.

The movie tells the story of South Asian Islam. It shows how Islam in part of the world is based on syncaretic traditions, the blend of Sufi tradition that has common shared culture. How Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulyia of Delhi is revered in Pakistan.

How the lyrics of Amir Khusro is sung in India and Pakistan even after eight century when it was orginally written by this illustraious disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin.

How, Islam and Hinduism exist side by side in old Delhi area adjoining Jama Masjid. How, Muslims and Hindus enjoy the Sufi Qwalli, which is sung in the praise of Islamic saints in such hospice.

This is a movie about Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma. Bajrangi Bahijan who is a Brahmin and a Chaturvedi cannot accept any one other than a Brahmin or at bes a Kastriya. He is ready to accept Munni within two caste categories. He cannot view anyone beyond these two upper caste.

Nothing more exposes to the world this world view of Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma. This hard reality is portrayed very innocently in this movie.

The movie is about Bajrang Dal and Sangh Privar. There common behavior of being intolerant against Muslims and Christians. The movie tells them that humanity is higher than their religious faith.

A true Hindu cannot be intolerant or fascist is the deep message of this film. The movie shows how Maulana Om Puri and Bajrangi Bhaijan are on same page when it comes to helping the people in distress.

All praise for the director Kabir Khan, who grew up in Delhi and studied at DU and Jamia. He knows how Hindu temple and mosque exists side by side. How dargah and Hanuman temple is common landscape.

The journalist in him is portrayed in Chand Nawaz character, comes out very well. He has meticulously built this character and actor Nawaz Siddique has given a life to it. No wonder he has been applauded across the screens all over the country.

Finally, Salman Khan has moved from playing Romeo or doing dishum dishum as an action hero. He is now moving to do the character based role that suits his age. In this Salman is being nurtured his father Salim Khan, of Salim- Javed fame. It seems the elder Khan and a master of pen has a big role to play in shaping Salman’s future.

Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijan and Amir Khan’s PK, both the movies fall in the same genre of films. Both are a satire on contemporary India and a bold attempt to question the realities of India.

These two films Bajrangi Bhaijan and PK compel Indians to think differently about things that so common around them. The message of both these films is to shed the misgivings about others and act as normal human beings.

The success of these two movies suggests that Indians are ready to move beyond love story, sex and dance, fight and hate stories. The triumph of humanity in the Bajrangi Bhaijan and PK, epitomizes that India is changing and so are many Indians.
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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba@yahoo.com

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About Me

Syed Ali Mujtaba is a media trainer, visual communicator, journalist and documentary film maker. He is Principal National College of Design, Chennai. He has taken M Phil & PhD along with MA in History and MA in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has qualified National Education Test NET. He is author of two books and has made two documentary films.He has about 10 years of working experience in the media industry and has about 10 years of teaching experience of Media Studies. He was a Jefferson Fellow at East West Center, Hawaai. He has been to US, UK, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and Nepal. He is widely read journalist and writes for national and international media. His interest is in media related activities.